Doctors ask JPS Hospital to end partnership with McDonald's
FORT WORTH, Texas - A physicians group wants Fort Worth’s John Peter Smith Hospital to end its partnership with McDonald’s to give people healthier choices. But JPS says the fast food giant is already doing that.
JPS has had a McDonald’s franchise inside the hospital since 1992. The hospital says it provides staff and visitors with an option when nothing else is open.
A sign inside the county-run hospital directs people to the world famous home of Big Macs and fries. The group, Physicians Committee for Responsible Medicine, has a problem with that.
Dietician Lee Crosby went before the JPS Board to ask them to kick out McDonald’s when its contract expires in 2019.
"Fast food in a hospital really sends the wrong message,” he said. Consider bringing in an option for more healthful meals with plant-based food that might actually prevent, and in some cases, reverse heart disease."
The board didn't comment. JPS says the hospital has been recognized for its cafeteria makeover with more healthy meals. "The hospital says it also asked McDonald’s to provide more healthy options not offered at other franchise locations.
The physicians committee has placed interior ads on more than 130 Fort Worth city buses that say "Your heart's not lovin' those cheeseburgers.” But the ads don’t mention the franchise or the hospital.
“So many diseases — diabetes, heart disease, stroke — they're all fueled by diet choices,” Crosby said. “So the more we can encourage people and organizations to move in a healthier direction, the happier we are."
The JPS Board didn't comment on the request. And with a couple more years left on the franchise contract, it's not likely to make it on their agenda anytime soon.
In 2009, Parkland Hospital in Dallas ended its partnership with McDonald’s after 20 years. It was replaced with U-Food Grill and Urban Taco, which offer grilled foods, organic greens and smoothies. The hospital says the chain offers healthier options.